English

Noun

genius loci ‎(plural genii loci or genii locorum)

1. The spirit or one of the spirits presiding over or guarding a particular place, such as a glade or pool.
2. The geist, distinctive atmosphere, or characteristic spirit of a place, especially when regarded as an artistic muse.

Translations

Usage notes

• The c in loci is usually hard (pronounced k), retaining pronunciatory similarity with locorum and with the related noun locus.
• The plural form genii loci is used for multiple spirits of a single place, whereas genii locorum refers to multiple spirits of multiple places; the rare related singular noun genius locorum refers to a single spirit having presidency or guardianship over multiple places.

References

• “‖genius loci” listed as a phrase featuring the word genius, listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2^nd Ed.; 1989]
• “ge⋅ni⋅us lo⋅ci defined by Dictionary.com Unabridged, © Random House, Inc. 2009
  Pronounced: /ˈgɛnɪˌʊs ˈloʊki; Eng. ˈd͡ʒiniəs ˈloʊsaɪ, -kaɪ/.